Handheld, Ceramic or V-Blade? The Best Value Mandoline Slicer

A mandoline does one thing a knife struggles with: it cuts a whole cucumber, radish or onion into slices of exactly the same thickness, in seconds. For paper-thin radishes on tacos, even potato slices for a gratin or quick-pickled red onion, that consistency is the whole point. You do not need a large stainless steel frame to get it. The entry slicers from most makers cut just as evenly. What the extra money buys is mostly width, more cut styles and heavier construction.

This guide covers only the entry tier of each maker’s range: Dreamfarm, Kyocera, Zyliss, Börner, PL8, Joseph Joseph and Progressive, plus two Amazon-first brands. Benriner’s classic No. 64 slicer and OXO’s simple and large handheld models are already reviewed in our main best mandoline slicer guide, so we do not repeat them here. We do not quote prices, which change daily. Each pick instead explains what you get, what you give up compared with the main guide’s picks, and what the maker says about warranty and cleaning.

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Quick verdict: which value mandoline to buy

The table compares the five standouts, one for each kind of cook. All nine picks are reviewed in full below it. Whichever you buy, read our safety section first: a cheap mandoline is exactly as sharp as an expensive one.

Five budget mandolines compared

Slicer type, cuts and the stated warranty, as the maker or Amazon listing gives them.

Product images from Amazon. Cuts and warranties are as each maker or listing states them; “Not stated” means the listing does not say.

Our picks for the best value mandoline slicer

These nine cover the ways people save money on a mandoline: small handheld slicers that rest over a bowl, a ceramic blade that stays sharp, a German V-blade frame, two slicers with built-in blades and no loose parts, and two budget slicers from Amazon-first brands. Each pick ends with one honest reason to skip it.

Slicing safely with a cheap mandoline

An entry mandoline is not safer or more dangerous than an expensive one; the blade is just as sharp. Three habits matter more than the price.

Use the guard, and add a cut-resistant glove

Every pick here comes with a food holder or guard except the Zyliss, whose listing does not mention one. Use it from the first slice. For the last short pieces, where a guard can slip, wear a cut-resistant glove on the hand that holds the food. Gramercy, a mandoline maker, ships cut-resistant gloves with its slicers for this reason. America’s Test Kitchen, reviewing the gloves for Cook’s Country, stresses that they are “cut-resistant but not cut-proof” and that the best glove is the one that fits your hand most closely. Gloves add protection to a guard; they do not replace it.

Stop before the end

Do not chase the last centimeter of an onion or radish. Slice the end by knife, or keep it for stock.

Watch out when cleaning and storing

Many cuts happen at the sink. Brush the blade from the back, never wipe along the edge, and store the slicer with any blade cover or lock in place, like the one on the PrepSolutions slicer. Recalls show the risk is real: in 2018 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of about 19,000 Sharper Image and Frigidaire mandoline slicers because the small blades on the julienne attachment could separate from their plastic housing. We found no CPSC recall for any slicer recommended on this page.

How to judge value in a budget mandoline

A cheap mandoline is good value when it slices evenly, holds the food safely and keeps its edge. These are the points worth comparing.

Handheld or frame

Handheld slicers, like the Dreamfarm, Kyocera, Zyliss, Joseph Joseph and Fullstar, rest over a bowl or board and store in a drawer. They take produce up to about the width of a cucumber or onion half. Frame and V-blade slicers, like the Börner and Mueller, sit flat and handle bigger potatoes and peppers.

Cuts you will actually use

Most home cooks use one thin slice, one thick slice and sometimes julienne. Extra inserts look like value but are often left in the box. Built-in blades, as on the PL8 and Zyliss, are easier to live with than a bag of loose inserts.

Blade material

Stainless steel is the default. Kyocera’s ceramic blade does not rust or react with acidic food and keeps its edge longer, but it is harder and can chip. Few entry slicers can be resharpened, so a blade that stays sharp longer is part of the value.

Warranty and parts

Written cover varies more than anything else here. Kyocera and Zyliss state five years, Fullstar states lifetime, and Joseph Joseph and Progressive state one year. Several listings say nothing. Replacement blades and guards are rarely sold separately for entry slicers, so treat a lost guard as the end of the slicer’s safe life.

What you give up compared with our top picks

The slicers in our main guide, such as the Super Benriner, the de Buyer La Mandoline Revolution and the Dash Safe Slice, cost more for a reason. They have wider decks that take a whole potato, more precise thickness dials, sturdier frames and, in Dash’s case, a design that keeps your hand away from the blade entirely. Benriner’s classic No. 64 and OXO’s simple and large handheld slicers are also in that guide, because they are the reference points the cheap models are measured against.

Entry slicers give up width, range and sturdiness, not sharpness. If you slice a sack of potatoes for chips or gratin every week, a frame mandoline from the main guide, or one from our mandoline for potatoes guide, will be faster and steadier. For a few radishes, cucumbers and onions a week, a handheld slicer from this page does the job.

How we chose these nine mandolines

We started with the entry slicer in each identifiable maker’s range that is sold and in stock on Amazon US. We then left out every slicer already reviewed in our main mandoline guide and our potato slicer guide, so this page adds new options. We limited ourselves to two Amazon-first brands and did not consider products listed as scarce or out of stock.

Specifications come from the Amazon listings and, where they were thin, from the maker or retailers selling the same model, named in our research notes. We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database for every brand here. We have not used these slicers in our kitchen; recommendations are based on specifications, maker information and what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a prep tool. We do not quote prices, which change daily.

Budget mandoline questions, answered

What is the best budget mandoline slicer for a beginner?

The Dreamfarm Nocutu. Its finger guard runs on tracks and doubles as the blade cover, so it is always there, the blade locks closed for storage, and its small size is less intimidating than a large frame.

Is an inexpensive mandoline slicer worth buying?

Yes, if you slice vegetables thinly more than once or twice a month. An entry slicer cuts just as evenly as a premium one. Pay more only if you need a wide deck for big potatoes or many cut styles.

Are cheap mandolines safe?

They are as safe as the way you use them. Use the guard every time, add a cut-resistant glove for the last pieces, stop before the end and take care when washing. Check the CPSC recall list before buying any slicer, especially an unbranded one.

Ceramic or steel blade on a budget?

Ceramic, like Kyocera’s, keeps its edge longer and will not rust, but it slices only and can chip. Steel is more versatile and tougher. For julienne, choose steel.

Can a cheap mandoline replace a box grater?

Only partly. A few, like the Mueller, include grating blades, but a box grater is easier for cheese and small amounts.

Our final pick for a mandoline on a budget

Buy the Dreamfarm Nocutu if you want one small, easy slicer with a guard you will not lose. Choose the Kyocera for thin garnishes, the Zyliss for the longest stated warranty with julienne, the Börner V1 for soft tomatoes and peppers, and the PL8 if you want everything built in. For wider and sturdier slicers, see our best mandoline slicer guide, and keep a good cutting board under whichever you choose.

And when you would rather someone else sliced the radishes, see Julia’s menu or call to order.